What Are We Sacrificing at the Altar of College Football?

I begin not particularly concerned whether I will be chided for swinging my bat at low-hanging fruit.  I at least deserve points for not even commenting (yet) on Casey Anthony.

The point of entry for Penn State’s implosion is my heart.  College football, academia and children.  When these three entities converge, there is to be a positive culmination for all. Never did I want to see them in a lurid and malignant imbroglio such as this. 

If I’ve imparted nothing in this blog, it should at least be my ABSOLUTE advocacy of children, my ABSOLUTE love of college football and my ABSOLUTE reverence for academia.  You can imagine my desolate state. 

I wonder how many of the students who rioted at Penn State are parents of small children?

One thing students so often don’t know is ANYTHING about the real world: life beyond the walls of their Utopian existence.  Their protesting is often offensive, as they don’t have the life experiences necessary to form opinions about that which they are protesting. 

Take 10 of the students who became violent and let them spend the next year growing a child in their body and see if they’d be willing to get involved in that melee. 

Because Paterno has already admitted he was informed of wrongdoing on the part of Sandusky by a graduate student in 2002, the fact he reported the incident to higher-ups does not absolve him of the responsibility to make certain the situation didn’t get dismissed. 

Any person who had knowledge of such violent abuse toward a child had a moral imperative to make certain it was pursued to the extent of their capability. 

Could small pockets of power have been functioning independently at Penn State?  Was the football program operating independently of the university?  If so, it would seem even more blame lies at the feet of Paterno. 

If Sandusky’s alleged conduct had occurred between consenting adults, it’d still have been wrong, having been committed in an environment students can access.  However, this was not the case. 

Sandusky’s fondness for children was rumored as far back as 1998, when the mother of an 11-year-old boy reported shower misconduct to his mother, according to the grand jury report.  She in turn conveyed the boy’s claims to the campus police, who dropped their investigation after the county elected not to file charges.  What parent doesn’t pursue this?

If one looks at the timeline of Sandusky’s 1999 retirement as the heir apparent for JoePa’s job, never to pursue another coaching gig in college or pro, it reeks of conspiracy to cover up known conduct.  He’d been courted by big teams but didn’t accept positions. 

It would seem to me someone pretty high up at Penn State gave him a pass in exchange for a quiet retirement and the promise not to pursue football further.  Could that be part of why Graham Spanier has found himself unemployed?

My question is, why is abuse that allegedly began as early as 1994 just now finding its way to the authorities?  Granted, it is not uncommon for men not only to not report sexual abuse but to hide it.  I firmly believe this goes back to the parents. 

Parents are the front line of defense for their children.  It is critical we don’t bury our heads in the sand and pretend evil does not lurk in the places we consider sacred ground for our children: family, friends, church, camp, charitable organizations, sports and school. 

Pedophiles position themselves where they must interact with children.  That being a fact, it’s imperative we put discomfort aside and discuss openly that our children’s bodies are their own and only they can decide with whom and when to share it. 

Touching of private parts by an adult who is not a parent or sanctioned family member is not allowed.  Once the child can bathe themselves, no one needs to assist in this task.  Touching of private areas is not OK by anyone prior to an age discussed with your child.

We do ask our children to bend to the will of adults, but there needs to be a major caveat to this, and physical touching or closeness that makes them uncomfortable must be discussed. 

Parents need to create an atmosphere in which their children are not afraid to come to them with fears and concerns.  Explain to them you are their protector (not the other way around) and if ANYONE tells them if they do not comply with wishes that are against their will, not to fear recrimination for anyone in the family. 

Pedophiles use fear, shame, guilt and humiliation to control their victims, so it is critical parents tell their children repeatedly they are their advocates and will support and help them.

If the allegations are true, who is responsible for this mess?  Jerry Sandusky.  Who else?  The parents who created an environment that allowed their children to spend time with an adult man and encounter abuse their children didn’t feel comfortable relaying. 

I understand Sandusky was in a seductive position and parents likely swooned at the thought of their child being “mentored” by the coach, but should an adult man be having sleepovers with young boys? 

Should the parents who allowed their children to have overnight play dates in the bed of Michael Jackson have been held accountable?  I think so.

The entire chain of command at Penn State will eventually have to answer to this crisis.  What good is a chain of command if it doesn’t succeed?  What about the graduate assistant who reported his findings to Joe Paterno?  Would not a better person to report the incident be the police; even the campus police?

Someone might as well light a match and run because Penn State is going to pay a stiff price for this cover-up.  If you don't believe me, research the Dallas Diocese payout to the victims of that sex scandal.

Sports have long provided a safe haven for criminal, unethical, immoral and inappropriate behavior, but in this case, it’s gone too far.  Many rules and laws have been sacrificed at the altar of what is best for a sports program, but sexual misconduct with a child must not be overshadowed by a high-profile program or coach.

Scandal is nothing new.  We have athletes who take drugs to improve performance, thus securing themselves and their teams in the sacred annals of sports, coaches who advocate pain management, which will eke out critical victories at the expense of the athlete, coaches and staff who bet on their own teams and possibly affect the outcome in their financial favor, shopping of children, purchasing of athletes, agent fiascos, drugs, theft...it is never-ending, but this is where the line must be drawn.

My biggest question is WHY now?  Abuse has been going on for a decade and a half.  How did it escape exposure?